I received an email from Gaiam saying “check out these green chicks.”  That seems so un-Gaiam like.  Green Chicks?  Has Gaiam gone Cosmo? When I clicked, I saw the cutest picture you ever saw.  Aren’t those chicks adorable?

Have you received any ads lately with great pictures?  Let me know.  By the way, Gaiam does have great stuff and I am not telling you this just because I am an affiliate.

They are having an up to 30% green sale until April 5, 2010.  Don’t miss out.

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• In Between the Organic Sheets

Milk does a Body Good, right? The containers?  Well, that is a different story.  According to the EPA, over 510,000 tons of milk cartons are generated in the US but only .5% of them are recycled.  The rest sadly sit in a landfill.  In my case, my town does not recycle milk or juice cartons.  So, I can’t even do the right thing.

I firmly believe that for every problem is a solution.  Enter Milkmuny,  which saw the potential in all of those lonely milk cartons.  So, the Company starting collecting  milk and juice cartons and up-cycles them into cool wallets.  You might wonder,  how do they get all these cartons?

Show me the Milkmuny.

Schools and not for profit organization can collect the following 1/2 gallon milk and juice cartons, and the Company will pay 25 cents for each carton collected.  Shipping is pre-paid. For a short video of the Company’s mission, see here.

Once you collect them, the milk cartons need to be washed and their tops cut off.  See the below diagram.

Corporate partnerships are welcomed.  The Company will take expired,  misprints, and overrun of milk cartons.

Want to keep the Milkmuny love flowing?

Consider buying one of their cool wallets.  The wallets are  3 by 4″ wallets with four accordion pockets. They cost $10.00 and can be purchased here .

On Earth Day, my school is collecting the above milk and juice cartons.  We know where the Muny is.  Helping the Earth.

For more Eco-fundraising ideas, see here.  Be sure to read the comments since many other companies chimed in.

So, Readers,

• would you consider this fundraiser?
• thoughts about the wallets?

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Photo by permission of Ben Donley

One of my most popular post is “Recycle your Blue Jeans.”  I guess I have a lot of jean wearing, need to get rid of old jeans readers.  Well, for a limited time, Gap is taking back old jeans as part of the CottontoBluetoGreen.org campaign. The time period is short:  March 5-March 14, 2010.    See here for a store near you.

In fact, when you give Gap your jeans, you can get 30% off a new pair of jeans.

Old Blue Jeans are used to create UltraTouch cotton insulation. (I have this insulation.  Love it.)  See the video here about how your ratty jeans become insulation.

To date, the Campaign has collected enough jean to make  185,000 square feet of  insulation. It takes 500 jeans to make insulation for an average house.  180 Habitat for Humanity have houses have used this insulation.  So, get a jump on spring cleaning, and head over to the Gap to give those jeans a second life.  If you miss the deadline, check out my post for other jean recycling ideas.

It will give you a warm feeling.

Tip via Mommy Goes Green

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Check out a great Fundamentally Dog T giveaway below! Who Love  you?

Lately, it may seem that Green Talk is totally going to the dogs! I was approached by Fundamentally Dog to review their cuddly organic t-shirts. Even if you don’t own a dog you will appreciate the whimsy of this Company’s t-shirts with slogan like ” Live for the Moment” and “Shake it Off.” But why another organic t-shirt company or better yet, why another dog loving t-shirt company? We know that our dogs are our best friends, but do you have to wear your heart on your back?

Nancy Mayes, the founder of Fundamentally Dog (pictured above with Fletcher, her Great Dane) explains:

“The idea truly started as a joke with my husband that our dog, Fletcher, needed a job. The joke became an idea that stuck in my brain for awhile and eventually grew into Fundamentally Dog. A dog-themed tee shirt business is not a new concept, but we believe our take on it makes FunDog distinctive and unique. Our products are “green” and our dogs are dogs. They don’t surf or play soccer. They’re just dogs being dogs. And in the process of just being dogs, they sometimes teach us valuable lessons, such as to “live in the moment” or to just “shake it off.” We also feature a variety of dogs, not a single character, and our artwork is fun and whimsical.”

All the designs are created by Elizabeth Sawinski, Fundamentally Dog’s artist in residence, who also owns three Great Dane dogs. Looking at her designs, it is obvious that she is a dog lover, since she has clearly captured various dogs’ personalities. 

Here are some of the other designs:

In addition, the Company sells notecards on FSC certified paper with envelopes that are made of 100% recycled content paper featuring four of the FunDog designs. Each package contains 12 notecards and is wrapped in a biodegradable bag tied with a hemp string.

Want to know more about the dog designs? Check out the Company’s website, which is as whimsical as their t-shirts and chalk full of information about their products as well as their environmental stance . Once there, you can meet the people cast of the Company as well as the dog characters that make Fundamentally Dog so much fun.

Perhaps your dog is like the diva, Mavis, who likes pretty things and being the center of attention? Maybe, your dog is like Cisco, the flirt, who loves kisses but really enjoys the chase more? Maybe these dog personalities are more like your own? Some would say I am like Peggy Sue, the bossy, maternal type, who is in charge and everyone is okay with that. (Well, they better be…)

You have to love a Company that has a FAQ on just Fletcher. Want to know how much he eats and poop? Check out Fletcher’s FAQ. People and their dogs! Seriously?

Besides being fun, Fundamentally Dog looks out for all little creatures on this Earth by being mindful of their own footprint. All of their shirts are made from high quality organic cotton and screen printed with eco-friendly water based dyes. I can attest to the high level of the t-shirt. I have never felt one that was as soft and thick as the one they sent me, by the way in an Eco-Shipper®, which is made out of 40% recycled fiber.   They pride themselves on using minimal materials in shipping their products. In addition, the Company is committed to donating a portion of their profits to pet-related charities such as non-profit rescue organizations and animal health projects.

To boot, their notecards, as noted above, are made with FSC certified paper.

I questioned Nancy about shrinkage since another competitor’s organic shirt that I owned shrank. She assured me that her shirts shrink very little and only get softer as you wear them. As for picking the right size, the Company states:

“The women’s sizes are a “fitted” style, so if you like your shirts loose, you may want to order a size larger or a men’s size (if available.) The men’s and unisex sizes are cut longer, but run true to average tee-shirt sizes in the shoulders and chest. The men’s sizes are a bit narrower through the bodice than the unisex sizes for a more tapered fit. Check the size charts for more info.

To give you a frame of reference the shirt I have is an XL but it look more like a loose medium.

Shirts can be purchased online and are priced at $29.50 for short sleeves and $34.50 for long sleeve. Note cards are priced at $16.99.  Fundamentally Dog is graciously offering Green Talk reader’s a 10% discount by simply inserting GT0209 in the coupon code. Offer is good until March 31, 2009, just in time for spring and long walks with your dog.

As much as I would like to keep my fundamentally dog t-shirt that was sent to me to review, I would rather give it away to a lucky Green Talk reader. (See the picture above) It is a size XL but I feel it is a loose medium/large. I don’t wear clothing very fitted. Here are the rules to entering the contest:

In order to enter the giveaway contest, you must live in the US or Canada, and be 18 or older and follow the rules below:

• Leave me a comment here telling me what is your  favorite characteristic of  your pet.  If you don’t have one, just say so.

• To double your chances of winning the shirt, consider joining Green Talk’s . Come back and leave a separate additional comment that you joined my forum.

• To triple your chances consider joining my Feedburner email list or subscribe to my RSS feed. Both subscriptions are listed on the upper left hand column. Be sure to come back and leave a separate additional comment to tell me which one you joined.

• To quadruple your chances of winning, twitter about this contest and come back and leave a separate additional comment of the url (weblink) of your twitter comment.

• You must enter by March 18, 2009, 6 PM EST time to win. A winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, March 19, 2009. Good Luck everyone!

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Photo by permission of Ben Donley

Updated 1/7/2012:

What’s blue, made out of old recycled blue jeans, itch-free, and keeps you warm during the winter and cool in the summer?  No, not your favorite blue sweater or blanket!  Bonded Logic’s Ultra-touch insulation.  Previously, I have written about having this terrific insulation in my own home as sound insulation since it is itch-free and formaldehyde-free.  With four rambunctious boys and hardwood floors throughout the house, the noise level would be deafening.  I can’t tell you how much this demin insulation absorbs sounds especially in the basement!

As I mentioned in my Bonded Logic article, you can easily use this insulation for your exterior walls.  We chose to use Icynene, an open cell spray foam insulation, which we felt was a better insulator than the cotton insulation.

People have asked me in the past if you can send your blue jeans to Bonded Logic.  I have always replied “ no” since their insulation is made up of  blue jeans scraps from the factories.  I recently found out that this is not true.  There have been demin drives in the past as well as currently, where your old jeans could become someone else’s warmth.

• Green Jeans Insulation Inc was collecting the jeans  to send them to Bonded Logic.  (Via  a tip from Jana’s Care 2 blog post citing Plenty magazine‘s article.)    However, Green Jeans indicated that  they are no longer taking the blue jeans.  This made me a little blue.

• Certain universities are collecting old jeans  as participants in the Cotton, Blue to Green® Denim Campaign. The university campaigns are run by the students to educate their fellow  jean wearing students that cotton is  not only comfortable but is renewable and recyclable.  Those participating students are making an impact on the environment in their own way by recycling their jeans.

• According to Sean Desmond, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Bonded Logic, the Company sponsors denim drives throughout the year.  The next drive is scheduled for April, 2009 in conjunction with National Geographic with a Washington DC centralized collection point.  Perhaps the White House? Stay tuned to Green Talk as this event is formally announced.

• (New!) You can send your jeans directly to JBM Fiber in Brownville, Texas.  They are a leader in textile recycling and fiber conversion.   (You pay for shipping.) Before you run to the post office, I would suggest calling the company to confirm that this policy still exists.

• (New!)  Donate your gently worn (but in good condition) jeans to Teens for Jeans by dropping them off during the Campaign at one of the US or Canada local Aeropostale location.  This Campaign usually happens in the middle of January for a month.  To be updated, when there is a campaign sign up here.

What if you don’t want to send your jeans to be reused in insulation? Here are some other alternatives to recycle your jeans:

• Freecycle your old jeans because someone may want to use them for a craft or if gently worn, wear them again.

• Donate them to a charity such as Goodwill.

• Have your jeans made into sandals at Recycle Your Jeans ( Tip via LivePaths)

• If you are a more crafty type of person, consider some of these projects in “25 Things to Do with Old Jeans.”

• Learn how to sew with denim.  Here is your chance with this helpful article.

• Learn how to revamp outdated or too short jeans into new stylish ones.

Join the Conversation:

• What are your ideas what to do with your old blue jeans?
• Do you give away your jeans?  If so, where?
• Are you crafty and remake your jeans?

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Watch this video about how the cotton in  your t-shirt is grown in India. Trust me, you will never buy another non-organic cotton t-shirt again especially when you see the amount of pesticides used and the harm it is causing the people using them. 

Let me know if you think  I should summarize the video for those who do not have time to watch the video.

Additionally, let me know your thoughts about this video and how it makes you feel.  It made me feel angry, mortified, and now empowered to spread the word. 

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Check out my Natural Pod giveaway gift certificate below!

Christmas season is almost here. But it seems like yesterday, that the Safe Toy Database was introduced.  Just last holiday season the creation of this Database brought to the fore-front the reality that are children have been playing with unsafe toys.   Wouldn’t it be nice to find a company who you could trust to sell environmentally safe, quality made toys?  No questioned asked?

Well, Natural Pod might be the answer to your prays.  This Canadian company “gets all of us” who desire environmentally safe, quality toys. How come?  The founders, Bridgitte and Allan Alomes, are the parents of two young children.

“We believe in a natural style of parenting. We found through our own parenting the limited choices that were available and wanted to create an easy source to find trusted products for all families, communities and educators,” Bridgitte explains.

What I love about the Company’s product selection is that the toys are designed to not only be safe, but to inspire imagination and creativity. In addition, they are quality made so that the toys can be handled down to the next child or perhaps our grandchildren. I don’t know about you, but I get tried of buying toys that break as easily as twigs.

Most importantly, I admire Nature Pod’s environmental standards.  They truly vet the products that they put on their site.  Take for example, the wooden Chef’s kitchen pictured above that was designed by Natural Pod and constructed on Vancouver Islands. Not only was it built using FSC certified wood,  the plywood used does not contain any added formaldehyde. In addition, the Company used a combination of water based glues and screws and it was sealed with a coat of beeswax.

I bought a kitchen set when my youngest was a toddler. I loved the imagination that it inspired. I would be his “customer” as he cooked me something special.

What about the shipping? Is the Company as environmentally minded in this area as well? Bridgitte further assured me that the kitchen is shipped in a double walled brown cardboard box. Packing material is recycled cardboard and brown Kraft paper.

So, what kind of toys can you find at Natural Pod? How about some food items to inspire more play time? Try the realistic wood veggies, fruits, or wood felt breakfast set.

Perhaps your children would rather play in the recycled cardboard house or rocket, or float around the room with “magical” plant dyed play silks, or play a game of skittles? (Remember that game?) There is something for everyone on this website.

Being creative is a theme at Natural Pod with colored pencils especially designed with a triangular grip for little ones’ fingers, watercolor paint brushes designed using natural sustainable products, and small weaving looms for that one of kind craft.

The Company took that same extra care in their choice of clothing sold on the site as they did in their selection of toys. Featured are organic onesies, organic plant based T-shirts, and PVC free rain gear certified by ÖKO-tex a European standard.

Why should the Christmas season be froth with worry whether your children’s toys are safe? Consider registering toys you would like from your family. No more emails listing what not to buy your children. No more returned gifts. Just point them to the website. How easy is that?

Natural Pod has generously offered a $25 gift certificate to a Green Talk reader. In addition, the Company is offering GT readers a 10% discount on their first order through December 31st, 2008 with code GCM08 at checkout. In order to win the free gift certificate, you must do the following:

• Leave a comment here as to your favorite holiday gift growing up.
• To double your chances of winning the gift certificate, consider joining my Ning Forum. Come back and leave a comment that you joined my forum.
• To triple your chances consider joining my Feedburner email list or subscribe to my RSS feed. Both subscriptions are listed on the upper left hand column. Be sure to come back and leave a comment to tell me which one you joined.
• A winner will be chosen by random on Friday, December 5, 2008. This is a short contest due to Christmas fastly approaching. I want you to get the gift certificate early in the season. Good Luck everyone!

Thanks to Sommer, Green and Clean Mom for this great tip for the holidays. (Another Green Mom Carnival founder!)

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Check out the giveaway below!

Boho Magazine is a newcomer to the eco-chic magazine field. But with all the greening around us, this magazine stands out as different from all of the rest. Just like its name, Boho, which stems from the name bohemian, seeks to celebrate women being individuals with the freedom to be who they are.  A Boho woman is defined in part as:

“Free. Radical. Independent.
Her style is her own.
It’s personal, existential.
Her only fear is convention.
Her only weakness, shoes.
The bump on her nose adds character,
the scar on her shoulder adds strength,
the curl in her hair adds attitude,
There is no such thing as imperfection,
just originality….”

Although, this concept may seem like a cliche, this magazine takes that concept to heart to empower women to strive for their dreams, be mindful of what they use on their bodies, and realize their fashion impact on the Earth.

So what makes Boho so unique? Gina La Morte (Editor and CEO of Boho).  Boho is Gina in the form of a magazine. Many of you may know her as the Style Doctor and providing fashion advice to People magazine, MTV, Neiman Marcus and more.  Prior to interviewing her, I read the first issue of the magazine cover to cover, checked out other articles about the magazine and her website, Style Doctor, her eight year venture helping others get their style groove on.  Personally, I was a little intimidated to speak to Gina since I can’t say that I am stylish, nor trendy, and believe me, never running in my Jimmy Choo shoes to get my latest copy of W or Vogue.  (Think Carrie and Sex in the City.)

What I learned from my conversation with Gina is you can’t judge a book by its cover.  Gina is a down home Jersey girl. She is warm, funny, and genuine.  There are no airs about her.  I even told her I was pleasantly surprised when I was done talking to her. I pictured a fashion diva, who ran in only the elite circle.  What I found out is she is just like you and  me, but blessed with the ability to put anything together that screams “chic” rather “what were you thinking” look.

So how can a fashionista be an E-fashionista? Is she an Al Gore convert? She explained that her love of nature stems from her experiences at the Jersey shore and as a member of the environmental club in high school and a Surfrider Foundation volunteer. She has always loved nature, but also had a propensity towards fashion.  So, she married the two into Boho.

Even Gina’s choice of Boho’s corporate headquarters for the magazine is unusual.  It is located in her beloved New Jersey.  As she explained to me, she could have easily set up shop in the Big Apple, which is just a skip and a jump from New Jersey, but she refused to yield to pressure and conform to the norm, just like her magazine.  When people ask why New Jersey, she explains to them that New Jersey is the Garden State for good reason.

Even more out of the norm is how the publication is printed.  The publication is printed on post consumer recycled paper, soy based ink and no glossy PVC laden pages for this earth lovin’ Boho girl.

(Photo of Taylor Foster Allen)

During our interview, I noticed Gina kept repeating her intention for this magazine.  She wants women to know that they can find a home at Boho, especially young girls who are so influenced by beyond thin models and stars.  Boho not only features wonderful green fashion and products, it also contains inspiring stories about other women who have made a difference in the world as well as others who are living their dreams. In the first issue, Taylor Foster Allen was featured, who is a model who turned organic baker in beautiful Bovina, New York.  Josie Marin, another model, was also featured because she was unsatisfied with the present quality of beauty products and now manufacturers her own line of non-toxic beauty products.

I have to admit I was a little turned-off by the magazines use of models as illustrators of living their dream lives. Models to me have always represented unobtainable beauty and an occupation that I have never taken very seriously. I worry that young girls aspire to be like them with their weight and use of make-up.  However, Gina told me that using models as role models was unintentional, but stressed that women should accept each other and themselves, regardless of being born tall, skinny, or beautiful.

So how do you know the products are green in the magazine? Most of the products have a leaf symbol designating how green they are to help readers to distinguish between the shades of green. Some products are only green in the product or packaging (one leaf), green in both (two leaves) and green in product, packaging, and practices (three leaves).

(Fall eco-clothing)

A Boho feature which everyone will love is a column by the Style Doctor herself with readers asking questions, such as how do I wrap a long scarf and mixing floral and striped patterns. Other features included clothes for the casually conscious, green glam on the catwalk, and eco-pieces for the fall.  Most of the clothing seemed to be in earth tones. I expressed my unhappiness with the colors.   Gina explained that they are careful in what they deem green and of the green clothing, a lot of it is unfortunately still earth colors.

The magazine is filled with advice. Some of the features are “What do your Features Say About You?;” eco tips, and “Keeping that Summer Spirit” with green products to help you to rebalance, renew, and repair your body. I particularly liked the sections with the make-up and beauty products since there has been so much controversy over the chemicals included in our beauty products.  Majority of the products listed had three leaves.

What would a fashion magazine be without accessories?  Just change your jewelry, shoes, and handbag, and instantly change your wardrobe.  Talk about being lighter on the planet.  Boho features “easy to be green” accessories as well as wonderful green products exhibiting the three Rs such as colorful bangles made from skateboards, and a weekend bag that used to be a quilt.

My favorite section in the magazine is the feature about “World changing Chicks” In this issue women were featured who are braving the extreme to raise awareness about our oceans for Blue Climate and Ocean Project.  This Project is a sport environmental initiative featuring athletes who use their projects to educate and motivate people to reduce their impact on the world’s climate and oceans.  According to Gina, this will be on-going feature in the magazine illustrating women who have made a difference to inspire others.

After reading Boho cover to cover, I was impressed.  I liked the clothing that was given a second life, and loved the accessories as well as the beauty products offered.  Boho is a magazine for women who love fashion but crave more in their lives.  The articles serve to inspire women to reach for their dreams at any age and to care that each foot step we make has impact. I think Boho has hit the floor running in one of its eco-friendly stilettos (made of vegan friendly materials of course.) Boho is available through bookstores and magazine stores as well online. In the future, Boho will be offered as an online subscription for those who want to truly lessen their footprint on the Earth.

To promote Boho, Gina has offered a free year subscription to one lucky Green Talk reader.  Here are the rules:

1.         Tell me why you are a Boho woman or man (ie what makes you unique, free spirited,  your passions, why you don’t beat to the same drum as everyone else, etc.)  Don’t worry about the quality of your comment.

2.         To double your chances, either subscribe to my email subscription (see my FeedBlitz “subscribe me” in the upper left hand column).  You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBlitz  will send you a verification email.  Please do not ignore this email otherwise, your entry will be invalid.  Or you can subscribe to my Feedburner RSS Feed (see orange button, which says “subscribe to my feed.”)  Tell me which one you subscribed to in a second comment. If you are already an email subscriber or feed reader then let me know in your comment. If you have problem doing either, email me through my contact page.

3.         The contest is only open US residents only.

4.         The contest will run until November 21, 2008 for two weeks until 6pm eastern time.

5.          The winner will be picked at random.

6.         Note: If you don’t leave the requested Boho comment, you can’t qualify for the contest. Good Luck everyone!

Photos courtesy of Boho Magazine.

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